Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-01-06

| n"hi0' "Noh tho utN alter marrlaTe.
He was in all the glory of "store-
clothes. " with large gold pin stuck
in his scarf-a little bit of imagination
on the part of the photographer. One
large hand was outspread upon his
knee, and the other clutched Annie s
shoulder. They were seated at a re-
spectful distance from each other, as If
not on very good terms. Annie had
also, gold pin, and gold earrings
and finger ring as she called it..
Her head had a great deal of hair piled
upon it, and large, white lace scarf
was outspread on her bosom-in feet,
everything that dress could do. aad
been done to spoil her rustic prettiness.
Folks said we were IN lightly hand
some couple" thought Jimmy. Il
don't see no women nowadays that've
got red cheeks like Annie had. | won.
der If Liner favors her, now she s
grown"
After he had seen his daughter. he
would take the road again, to earn
more money and save it, as provision
for the old age that seemed advanc-
ing"
"'Pears to me like l can't see as
good as d. he muttercd getting
stiffly on his feet, and passing his hand
across his eyes.
He felt slugg sh, and the organ
seemed to we Oh more on his back
than of yore. He gave the monkey
quite paternal smile, as the creature
scrambled up on his shoulder. Jimmy
was fond of animals, and Beppo had
been Il companion to him.
| ai,,t | 10 kay;r' An Ia =.
human bein' with you." he used to ex-
plain; "but it's like body that ain t
right wise, one o the harmless kind
that don't hurt no one"
He was still some distance from Pal
myra. his native village. His usual
plan was to pass the night in the house
of some good-natured countryman;
carrying in his knapsack the daily sup
ply of food for himself and Beppo.
A days tramp brought h m near Pal
myra, and he began to realize that 1t
was illness, not age, that was pressing
upon him.
He stopped to get some water at a
negro cabin perched precariously upon
hillock, which was rapidly washing
away on all sides. The woman of the
house stood with her hands on her
broad hips, frowning in the sun as she
gazed at Ia m.
You look mighty peaked, she re-
marked, got de measles?'
II dunno" said Jimmy. listlessly.
well, you're broke out like you d
got 'em. Praise de Lawd, we've all
had EN-, fun Lilly Resale down to de
old man. To be shore. de ole man's
done chop his toe with axe, an now
has dat to contain with" ami she fol-
lowed Jimmy into the road to pour her
sorrows into his dull ears.
How his feet tagged! But it was not
far off--not so very far-and Lima
would nurse him now that he was sick.
He wondered if many changes had
taken place in the village. He could
see. in fancy, his sister-in-law's prim
little house, painted yellow, with brown
shutters. the neat little white fence.
and. in the yard. the Cape jasmine BUSH
es. the rosy crapcmyrtle trees. and the
mimosa spreading its feathery branches
like a sun-shade How well he remem-
bered that genteel. chilly parlor of hers.
with the horse-hair furniture; the fire.
place blocked with screen of gaudily-
lowered paper; the long-faced clock on
the high mantel- piece. fianked by two
large pink shells; blue vase ut one
end, and at the other. white plaster
deer that had very black eyes, red
nose, and highly arched black eye
brows, which gave it an expression of
perpetual surprise.
Jimmy knew these adornments by
heart He had conned them over so Of
ten OH those long. dull Sundays that he
and Annie had spent with Mrs. Crane,
in the old days.
Well, here he was in Palmyra at last
1t looked very much the same There
was the courthouse with its sky blue
dome and the tall clock-tower; but he
could no longer tell the hour, at such a
distance. Everything was dull and
quiet. A few horses were tied at a rack
facing one Of the saloons, and some
men were sitting in front of the wealth
er-beaten stores. An oX-wagon crawled
along the street, with tattered negro
driver trudgng beside it, cracking his
whip, and shouting encouragement to
Brandy, Whisky, Logan and Red. An.
other wagon was stopping ut the gro
Gerry, and one of the oxen was lying
down, dragging the Yoke heavily on
patient neck of his mate.
Jimmy had to pass the church on his
way to his sister-in-law' houss.
Here was Il transformation 1t was
freshly painted, and had stained glass
windows, quite like city church.
Something was going on inside-per-
haps wedding. AS Jimmy stopped
and rested his organ on the banquette
with Beppo on top of it, the bridal
party came forth.
The bridegroom wore look of sheep
ish Joy, HIS boots and his hair shone
alike with an oily lustre. His panta-
looms were not quite long enough, and
his frock-coat was too short in the
waist-clearly, he was village beau.
The bride was robed in thin white
mus lin, lavishly trimmed with cheap
lace. A wreath of white artificial
flowers bristled around her pretty, rosy
face. and she wore clumsily- fitting
white kid gloves; but nothing would
vulgarize the shining of her deep brown
eyes.
A crowd of young people followed
her, the girls in light, fresh dresses and
bright ribbons, and with them an elder
ly woman in a gown of some wiry
gray stuff. Jimmy recognized hi.
sister-in-law.
Lord! she amt changed" hi
thought; 'got just the same sharp looh
outer her eye. She amt grown ne
older-just dried up"
The bride turned and addressed hel
as "aunt"
I;o,r,y'o baar, oaya a o,raat thr;u ~